ASHA SPECKMAN: Eskom woes drain juice from small businesses
About 20% of small businesses say they might throw in the towel if load-shedding is as severe again
If there is a constituency that has the most cause to toyi-toyi over service delivery in SA, it has to be the small business sector. In addition to suffering the hardships of a weak economy and stringent regulations, the sector has had a tough start to the year because of Eskom. Research published this week indicates that very little is necessary to drive small businesses to the edge, with some of them reporting a 20% drop in revenue during load-shedding. Earlier this year we joked about the many candle-lit dinners households had to endure. Social media was awash with memes mocking the power utility as Eskom restricted power supply across the country to cope with electricity-generation problems, and the country was hit by unprecedented and prolonged power cuts. But, on the ground, the consequences of load-shedding were distressing for small businesses, as the Yoco Small Business Pulse survey for the first quarter of 2019 revealed this week. Load-shedding is the primary obstacle to g...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.